Feet for wheeled luggage

ABSTRACT

Provided is a support structure on a bottom of wheeled luggage. The structure comprises a pair of front feet, and a pair of rear feet proximate wheels. All feet have the same height. The wheels are disposed above the supporting surface when the luggage is in a vertical position. Either rear foot is disposed between the wheels in one embodiment. One rear foot is disposed between one wheel mount and one front foot at one bottom side and the other rear foot is disposed between the other wheel mount and the other front foot at the other opposing bottom side in the other embodiment. The luggage is able to maintain its stability in a vertical position with the luggage being supported by the feet and the wheels being disposed above the supporting surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to bottom structure of wheeled luggage andmore particularly to a wheeled luggage having a pair of front feet and apair of rear feet proximate rear wheels in which in a vertical positionof the luggage the wheels are above the supporting surface with theweight of the luggage being totally supported by the feet.

2. Description of Related Art

There have been numerous suggestions in prior patents with respect tothe bottom structure of a piece of wheeled luggage. For example, such isshown in FIG. 1 of Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 313,779, entitled“Improved Handle for Wheeled Luggage” and FIGS. 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No.5,868,406. Each patent discloses two feet fixedly formed on positionsproximate two front corners of the bottom of luggage with two wheelsrotatably mounted in two rear corners thereof. The luggage is supportedby the feet and the wheels in a vertical position.

However, the prior patents suffered from several disadvantages. Forexample, (a) the upright luggage tends to fall in response to collision.In detail, the wheel is in a point contact with the supporting surface,resulting in a decrease of force supporting the luggage. It is alsofound that both wheels tend to wear after a short period of time of use.As such, the wheels and the feet may be not on a same plane parallel tothe supporting surface which is assumed to be horizontal throughout thespecification. In fact, the luggage tilts toward its rear (i.e., towardthe wheels) in this case. As an end, such luggage tends to fall in itsvertical position in response to colliding with a foreign object.

(b) It is difficult or even impossible for the luggage to stably standon an inclined surface because the wheels tend to rotate.

(c) The wheels tend to malfunction after a short period of time of usesince the wheels also serve to support the luggage in its verticalposition. Thus, continuing improvements in feet for wheeled luggage areconstantly being sought.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support structuremounted on a bottom of a piece of wheeled luggage in which the luggageis able to maintain its vertical position in response to colliding witha foreign object.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a supportstructure mounted on a bottom of a piece of wheeled luggage in which theweight of the luggage is totally supported by the support structure andrear wheels are disposed above the supporting surface by a predetermineddistance when the luggage is its vertical position so as to reduce wearof the wheels.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supportstructure mounted on a bottom of a piece of wheeled luggage in which aperson may sit on top of the luggage in its vertical position since areliable support is carried out by the support structure.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides asupport structure mounted on a bottom of a piece of luggage having twowheel mounts provided at two rear corners and two rear wheels eachrotatably coupled to the corresponding wheel mount, the supportstructure comprising a pair of front feet provided on the bottom of theluggage proximate two front corners thereof; and a pair of rear feetprovided on the bottom of the luggage proximate the wheels, whereineither front foot has the same height as either rear foot and the wheelsare disposed above the supporting surface by a predetermined distancewhen the luggage is in a vertical position.

In one aspect of the present invention, either rear foot is disposed ona bottom of the wheel mount and is disposed between the wheels.

In another aspect of the present invention, one rear foot is disposedbetween one wheel mount and one front foot at a first bottom side andthe other rear foot is disposed between the other wheel mount and theother front foot at a second bottom side opposing the first bottom side.

In a further aspect of the present invention, either rear foot isintegrally formed with the corresponding wheel mount or releasablycoupled thereto.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of feetmounted on a bottom of a piece of wheeled luggage according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the luggage in its vertical position with fourfeet resting on the supporting surface and two rear wheels disposedabove the supporting surface;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 where the luggage is its tippedposition with the feet lifted above the supporting surface and thewheels rotatably supported on the supporting surface;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of feetmounted on a bottom of a piece of wheeled luggage according to theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the luggage of FIG. 5 in its vertical positionwith four feet resting on the supporting surface and two rear wheelsdisposed above the supporting surface; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 where the luggage is its tippedposition with the feet lifted above the supporting surface and thewheels rotatably supported on the supporting surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown a piece of wheeled luggage 20incorporating characteristics in accordance with a first preferredembodiment of the invention. The characteristics will be described indetailed below. Two wheel mounts 21 are provided at two rear corners ona bottom 200 of the luggage 20. A wheel 22 is rotatably coupled toeither wheel mount 21. A pair of front feet 30 are provided on thebottom 200 proximate two front corners of the luggage 20. Also, a pairof rear feet 10 are provided on the bottom 200 in which each rear foot10 is threadedly secured to a bottom 210 of the wheel mount 21 and isproximate an inner side of the wheel 22. In other words, the rear feet10 are disposed between the wheels 22.

As shown in FIG. 3 specifically, either front foot 30 has the sameheight as either rear foot 10. Also, the wheels 22 are disposed abovethe supporting surface by a predetermined distance. As such, the weightof the luggage 20 is totally supported by the feet 10 and 30 when theluggage 20 is upright. This has the advantages of maintaining thevertical position of the luggage 20 in response to colliding with aforeign object (i.e., stable without tipping), and reducing wear of thewheels 22 (i.e., prolonging the useful life of the wheels).

As shown in FIG. 4 specifically, it is seen that the rear feet 10 do notcause interference with the rotation of the wheels 22 when the luggage20 is being towed along the supporting surface. In other words, users donot have to pay additional attention to a piece of luggage incorporatinga pair of rear feet 10 of the invention while towing.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, there is shown a second preferred embodimentof the invention. The second preferred embodiment substantially has samestructure as the first preferred embodiment. The differences between thefirst and the second preferred embodiments, i.e., the characteristics ofthe second preferred embodiment are detailed below. One of a pair ofrear feet 10A is provided between one wheel mount 21 and one front foot30A at the same bottom side (i.e., first bottom side) and the other oneof the pair of rear feet 10A is provided between the other wheel mount21 and the other front foot 30A at the same bottom side (i.e., secondbottom side opposing the first bottom side). Moreover, either rear foot10A is not coupled to the corresponding wheel mount 21. Operation andadvantages of the second preferred embodiment is substantially the sameas the first preferred embodiment. Thus, a detailed description thereofis omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

Note that either rear foot may be integrally formed with thecorresponding wheel mount in other embodiments as contemplated by theinvention.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means ofspecific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could bemade thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

1. A support structure mounted on a bottom of a piece of luggage havingtwo wheel mounts disposed at two rear corners and two rear wheels eachrotatably coupled to the corresponding wheel mount, the supportstructure comprising: a pair of front feet disposed on the bottom of theluggage proximate two front corners thereof; and a pair of rear feetdisposed on the bottom of the luggage proximate the wheels, whereineither front foot has the same height as either rear foot and the wheelsare disposed above the supporting surface by a predetermined distancewhen the luggage is in a vertical position.
 2. The support structure ofclaim 1, wherein either rear foot is disposed on a bottom of the luggagebetween the corresponding wheel mount and the corresponding rear foot.3. The support structure of claim 1, wherein either rear foot isdisposed on a bottom of the wheel mount and is disposed between thewheels.
 4. The support structure of claim 1, wherein one rear foot isdisposed between one wheel mount and one front foot at a first bottomside and the other rear foot is disposed between the other wheel mountand the other front foot at a second bottom side opposing the firstbottom side.
 5. The support structure of claim 3, wherein either rearfoot is integrally formed with the corresponding wheel mount orreleasably coupled thereto.
 6. The support structure of claim 4, whereineither rear foot is integrally formed with the corresponding wheel mountor releasably coupled thereto.